Garmin Vivosmart 4: The First Few Days Hands-on (with SpO2 & Body Battery)
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- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2025
- Full post: dcra.in/Vivosm...
Garmin Vivosmart 4 on Amazon: geni.us/bTAsF
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Here's everything you need to know about the new Garmin Vivosmart 4, Garmin's first watch with Body Battery, and the second with SpO2 measurement.
I dive into how the new Body Battery works (or whether it even works), plus details on how Garmin is implementing SpO2 in sleep-related metrics. I cover both hands-on with the watch as well as the app, which is equally as important to the whole equation. But as I show, all isn't as good as one might hope. Perhaps it's just early days.
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Hey Folks - don't forget to check out my full post on the Vivosmart 4 here as well: dcra.in/Vivosmart4
this small/medium or large? Thanks.
what you said @ the 2minute mark is completly false, the spo2 sensor on the fitbits do not work and probably will never be activated. That's pretty much.. false advertisement you do for them, thinking you're not. :/
I really like your writing and videos, really. I mean you have a lot of followers you should do a video dedicated on the spo2 sensor and wich watches really play the game honestly !
Regards,
@@2Drezik my spo 2 works fine
@@patriciaannicchiarico352 now it does indeed, 2y later... 🙄
Just got mine. It’s the perfect tracker for me. I don’t need GPS and I wear a mechanical watch so a smart watch is out. It fits like a dream and the the Pulse Ox feature is killer for me as a sleep apnea sufferer. Love it.
and Neo, after 4 years, are you still using it? Just opened mine after sitting on my desk for two years ago, today!
Would love to see an update with new features implemented and if the body battery has been improved! Thanks
Great review, thanks. Tip: On my Garmin Vivosmart 3, the "7 prior day average" section includes the current day, which makes the calculations almost useless. That is, when you wake and have walked zero steps, the 7 day average step count takes the total from prior 6 days and averages it over 7 days. I consider this a bug; that is, the 7 prior day average should average the PRIOR 7 days.
This is a common thing for all Garmin devices, it’s just the way it has been set up in Garmin Connect. It’s a shame, it means that the only time the average values make any sense is in the evening.
GREAT review, although now I'm disappointed it's not the slam dunk I thought it was.
Regarding inaccurate sleep data, did you respect these conditions ?:
Device must be up to date on software. You can use Garmin Express to manually check for and install any available updates.
Garmin Connect Mobile must be up to date. Use your app store to check and install any available updates.
Device must be worn at least two hours before bedtime.
Optical heart rate sensor must be enabled while sleeping
If you have more than one device, you must wear the one marked as your preferred activity tracker to bed.
Yeah, all that stuff is the usual. I’m wearing it 24x7. It hasn’t changed a ton since posting this nearly a month ago.
I own all 3 Garmin Vivoactives and I use them primarily for activity tracking. As a fitness tracker, the info is suspect to say the least which seems to be the case with the Vivosmart 4 as well. My wife's Fitbit seems to give more accurate data on the fitness side but it doesn't meet my needs as an activity tracker.
Surprised to see SpO2 come to such a non-high-end Garmin item.
Cool, but I've still got my fingers crossed waiting for the next Forerunner 900 series/Fenix 5P+ Music with them would be awesome, and SpO2 would be neat too.
What do you think the chances are that Garmin will someday have text/phone call support via bluetooth headphones? I realize that takes a lot of partnership with phone service providers they may not have, but it's the final big gap between it and say an Apple watch in terms of being able to go out confidently with just your watch.
I'm curious what will happen first - Garmin closing that gap, or Apple closing the triathlon/serious athlete gap...
I don't see them doing phone/call support until they have LTE in units. And I suspect that might still be a while. It's a real struggle, both from a certification standpoint and a carrier standpoint. Even Apple struggles with it, which is why the US and EUR versions don't work when you cross the pond. It's easier for Apple to demand things from carriers, but still tough for Garmin (despite being as big as they are).
Good information! I didn't notice any calorie information in your video? Is there a calorie count on this device?
I have the Vivosmart HR+ which I really like. Why can't Garmin make the same always on big screen with GPS and add then add those new sensors on this Vivosmart 4?! 🙁
Thanks for the review. I really dont want to wait for the Charge 3 to come out. SpO2 feature is something I am interested which is present in both smart4 and charge 3. If price is not an issue here which one would you recommend .
rossi ross do the charge 3 as the SpO2 is only measured as you sleep while charge 3 measures throughout the day and while asleep.
As for me I love the smart 4 a lot but if you’re looking for just the SpO2 then definitely go for charge 3.
^plus it comes out early next month!
Hey, I know w the vivosmart 3 the band was quite weak and ended up breaking easily at the joint. How's the wear and tear on 4?
When is the vivosmart 5 coming out?
Nice video composition and editing
Will it display HRV separate from the "body battery" score if you just want to know your HRV?
Fabulous, lovely. Mine wont get past picking English as my language. Any ideas???? How long does it take to charge it?
Is it a good time to buy this or should I wait for the Vivosmart 5?
@DC Rainmaker: thanks for having a channel that does amazing reviews for fitness trackers. Glad I found this! I'd appreciate if you could help out with this: is the VivoSmart 4 worth spending $60 over the VivoSmart 3 (currently $70)? Are the new features/changes worth more than the cost-savings? I currently have a Fitbit Charge2 (mainly for HR), but its HR feature barely works after just over a year leaving me to question Fitbit's long-term reliability. I've been considering Garmin for that reason: any thoughts on its reliability would be great too! Hope to see a response soon & thanks for all the great work!
I wonder if the discrepancy in some of the information would be similar to how past HRV devices, were it has to have some compiled data before it can give a proper HRV score and feedback on what to do with that info
You mention that if you went and took a nap, the body battery score would increase. Assuming that the nap would not be captured as a sleep record, how does that work? Does it even work at all?
Hey DC Rainmaker, thanks for this video, I just got mine and trying to understand how to use it . the way you talking about it, is it still not giving you the correct info ? or is it just in the beginning? I am not sure what to do with it yet lol, it was recommended by a private doctor. Oh God ,I am getting texting from WhatsApp, shit, this not good, how can it have it come to my watch ?? pls can you help. thanks
Do you think the second Vivosport is coming anytime soon? Would be nice to see it with music and NFC. Thank you for the review 👍
Garmin seems to have given up on fitness bands now.
Just bought one to use it with analogue watches, instead of my Garmin Venu 2. Liked it more than the Vivomart 5. Cannot get Sleep or Body Battery on the app... why? 😮
How is it compared to the Whoop Strap?
Hi, can I use this all day, and a different Garmin watch for training. And the Garmin app “joins” the data?
Do you feel it when you sleep? I mean I'm not used to wearing anything on my hands, wrist, or arms on a day-to-day basis, so not sure how I'll feel if I have to wear something on my wrist during my sleep. Can anyone help?
hi I know you might not see this but I have had this watch for a bit under a yr now but can not find out how to set an alarm it would be very useful if I knew how to do it could you recommend a video to watch or walk me through it in a reply
I've had the the Vivosmart HR for 25 months and the sleep tracking is spot on. Funny how they screwed that up on the 4. What does it take, 2 yrs of software tweaking to get it right???? I would like the 5 plus, but I'm old and broken and to much watch for just a walker like myself. Plus to hard on them, not sure how long it would last, one little scratch and I'd be crying like a little girl. I might just but the HR again, to early to tell.
Street Fighter analogy ftw!
wait, what do you mean there's no GPS tracking. I'm reading that the device itself tracks GPS data, and would simply transfer it to your phone; as opposed to fitbit, which pairs and uses your phone's GPS. This seems better, as you could track it and not carry your phone running.
Do you know if they will be coming out with a new iteration of this soon? I have a Fenix as well but looking for a band type tracker to wear for sleep and general fitness tracking.
My wife used her Fitbit to track her cycle and fertility days does this do that?
M vivosmart 3 band broke, and couldn't be replaced. I really like the look of this though. Very tempted.
I ordered mines from amazon it was pretty inexpensive about 10.00
hello everyone! i intend use Garmin Vivosmart 4 to get information about calories, sleep, stress ... I’m interested in how reliable these info are? I wish to make correct nutrition, better sleep ... Is safe to take information and do some changes? thank you
Hi,
If paired with a smartphone for GPS connectivity, will the vivosmart4 be able to at least map my run or cycling data.
Can we push it to Strava as well through the Garmin Connect app?
Thanks
Biswajit
Is there any other way to get HRV, VO2, etc besides wearing a watch?
I know we can turn off Bluetooth in vivosmart 4 but what about the ANT+ will it be always on and emit radio signal or only during the broadcast and remaining time will it be off?
This or the fit bit charge 3? Plus it seems it turns off super quick. Any way to change that? Also how was in the info? Accurate or suspect?
I'm disappointed that my sister ordered a $40 smart watch from Amazon and I bought an $89.99 Vivosmart 4 from BJ's and hers does everything my Vivosmart 4 does plus she can not only answer calls, but she can speak to callers through her watch. I would love to be able to walk and answer calls that way. I had to buy a Bluetooth headset. Which is cool. But, when I'm walking or working out, less equipment is better.
Hi, thanks for the reply. What version software was on it for this review? Have you noticed any improvements since they updated the firmware? Thanks
Thanks for the video. Just wondering if your phone rings, does the Vivosmart 4 buzz/vibrate? Thanks
Yup!
Well at least the price is awesome!
I assume like past models, (even without gps) steps counted are fairly accurate?
Also assuming stairs climbed is still as inaccurate as always?
Guessing you can't pair this with external hr strap?
Thanks as always for the best day one coverage and your in depth reviews.
How do you manually mark a running lap in this watch? I disabled the auto lap but then I cant mark my lap when Im running without the auto lap function.
Will you review the new Samsung Galaxy watch? I cant find any infos if its support open swim mode.
How well did the S/M size fit on you? I think my wrists are about the same size as your maybe slightly smaller.
Please compare vivosmart 4 and fitbit charge 3 :)
Yup! Definitely! I've put out a Charge 3 video here (ruclips.net/video/aprzLTI_uu8/видео.html) - but expect a more head to head comparison later in September once I have more hands-on time with both units.
DC Rainmaker
For those of use considering putting money down on one of these now, which one would you pick currently to be your device? (If you had to make a premature decision obviously) Thank you
I am concerned why you aren't sleeping? And thanks for the early review.
Some nights I get more sleep than other nights. This was an exceptionally low night.
Oxygen sensor only thing important great feature
not really. what do you intend to use it for?
hydra66 for asthma o2 stat
How do you rate the accuracy of the HR sensor on the Vivosmart?
Does Garmin show your sleeping resting heart rate? I'm about over Fitbit with their recent app changes.
Yup, shows resting HR no problem within the app.
Would like to switch to this and ditch my super fragile charge 3. Its band just gave up and lcd monitor showing lines and fitbit dont even wanna replace despite being under warranty.
Any update on Body Battery functionality? Has it been improved from when you did this review?
Also, have Garmin added BB and SpO2 in other models?
Body battery has definitely improved. Spo2? A bit, but still so-so.
What is the point of pairing it with smartphone to get gps tracking if phone itself can do the tracking?
Some folks just want a consolidated fitness ecosystem. Kinda one app to rule them all.
i like it just amazing bruv
What about the Heart rate sensor? Is enough reliable?
Very helpful DC, but, must you talk so fast?
Hey everyone . What does it mean when it says charge master ? If everyone can tell me that would be great
Under direct sun ray the display is clear and better than the vivo smart 3?
Million times bwtter
the big question in my opinion is "Does it have a changeable/replaceable strap?"
i dont think so.
it has 2 yrs warranty
Is there a way to leave it on the HR screen?
Does anyone know what the release date is for the Vivosmart 4? I ordered it on Amazon the day it was announced and the scheduled delivery date is not until DECEMBER! What gives? Is this released abroad already?
@Tabitha Qualls I posted the question 2 months ago. I own one now
Molto bello complimenti 👍 se ti va visita il mio canale
I bought the smart 4 because of this vid. But I made a mistake I didn't order one with the larger wrist band it doesn't fit and can't find a replacement band 3 days with Garmin support emails still no solution except buy a new LARGER one. Can anyone help?
I don't think the band can be changed with the Vivosmart 4. The screen and band are most probably a single unit.
Garmin only lists the Vivosmart HR as having replaceable bands.
This or fitbit charge 3?
this
This. The Fitbit Charge 3 does not have the oxygen sensor active for use yet. For some reason, they can't seem to give an update on when they will activate that feature. The sensor is there, but you can't do anything with it until they release a firmware update that activates it. They released the sensor with their Ionic watch/tracker about a year ago. It's not active yet on that either. So, if O2 readings are important to you, then the Vivosmart 4 is pretty much the only game in town, as far as this type of form factor goes.
I need a beginners video
does it have replaceable straps? seems like an obvious "feature" but dropped after vivosmart hr
Sadly not. :(
Why does it always buzz then show "discover "?
as someone from a medical background, the pulse oximetry shown from this seems to be a waste of space. As a well, healthy individual without heart disease and warm peripheries, your saturations should be >96%.
Nice effort, but this video was not easy to follow due to the intentional (music) and unintentional (construction) background noise..
ruclips.net/video/SNBJJXjtpBo/видео.html I found myself checking if I had another tab running audio as the music drowns out the speech.
is the biking distance accurate?
No, it doesn't have any way to measure that since it won't connect to sensors or GPS.
Does he measure heart 24h?
No connected gps is bad
Speaking too fast!! . Needs visuals. Have either a tutorial on how to use it OR speak about it's positioned in the market.
it sucks that it has been synced to your phone for gps!
Honor band 6 it's a lot way cheaper and has more utilities
This thing keeps on freezing, and your level of interaction with It Is kinda frustrating. F.e. I didnt complete VO2 max syncronization and now I cant remove this warning triangle with the message on display "Activity not completed". The mobile app is slow and acts like it doesnt care what the display of the smartband Is showing. I selected into the mobile app to show first meteo/temperature in the bracelet display but it doesnt give a damn and keeps showing my heart rate. Frustrating.
It has to sync the change. I find it changes the settings the next time it automatically syncs.
Just show how I can tell if it's fully charged!!!!!!
Any watch that tight and going to bed wearing it has to be uncomfortable!
Reconstruction :-)
I'm too much of a hypochondriac for this. If I saw I got 2 hours of sleep or that my heart rate was only at 50 or my pulse ox was 93 I'd be in the emergency room with questions and anxieties! This one is not for me! Lol!!!
Please song opening?
Still no nap recognition? Cheez, time to switch to Fitbit. :-(
Nuttin still. :(
In my experience with Fitbit it doesn't track it accurately either.
How come your heart rate is so low ?
your mommy likes horses
Complete bullshit my 600& (at the time) Fenix 5x isn’t getting backwards support for Body Battery.
I just discovered that this piece of garbage has no replacement bands. So if it breaks (like it happened to me after 1 year) you're f*cked.
Typical Garmin product, lots of nice features...none of them really working.
Congrats you mentioned that this watch does not have an always on display. So this watch is a pass for me
It looks quiet ugly, the Mi Band 3 looks more appealing. In my opinion Charge 3 beats this one, interface, screen just looks way better.
So basically it's as accurate as taking random guesses yourself. Cool.
What a ruined pos of the device.
Yet more fake software and firmware from Garmin. They’re like the VW diesel of fitness products. If you can’t meet the spec just fake it. It’s the Garmin way. I’ve had 3 Vivosmart bands and they all died and they all had many buggy issues even while they were still sorta working. Why does a Mi Fit band have more than four times the battery life of any similar Garmin band? Because Garmin engineering and management is consistently poor.